I nearly entitled this post “Three Things to Loathe …” because it seemed more appropriate. It’s a great story full of people you can’t stand, living in a world of false beauty. Without further ado, Three Things to Love about The Picture of Dorian Gray.
- Awful(ly Fascinating) People. Listen in on just a few of the conversations over dinner and drinks and fresh cut flowers, and you’re hooked. Part of the genius of this book is the sinking feeling that there really are people like these, and we may even know some of them.
- Intense Beauty. The sights and smells. The small gestures. The long white fingers, red lips, pinks, blues, and greens. The hum of bees. These people are play at Eden, and they fall, fall, fall.
- Great Premise. Fascinating idea, building to a great ending. I’ve seen similar endings in more recent stories, but I didn’t see it coming here, in part because the ending is swiftly paced.
Next: Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying.
Archangel Stomp 
“It's a great story full of people you can't stand, living in a world of false beauty.”
Thorp, your ability to sum mountains of book up in a quick, insightful, totally accurate, non-run-on sentence amazes me.
I have never been able to bring myself to see the film; I'm afraid it could never live up to my visual imagery. Has anyone seen it?
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Thanks, Jacqui — your ability to post a comment almost before I post the post, is uncanny, as well!
I've not seen the movie. By the way, a former colleague recommends the East of Eden miniseries with Jane Seymour and, uh, Bruce Boxleitner. I'm scared of that one. Love the book; leave it alone …
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In addition to the very witty but very shallow dialogue in that book, I remember a big section in the middle in which Dorian Gray's various distractions/pursuits were listed, and it seemed like it was just to show off Mr. Wilde's far ranging knowlegde of a long list of subjects…
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